Herb Gardening Basics and Tips

About Me

If you've always wanted to try herb gardening but you're not sure where to begin, you'll find a wealth of information in my blog. Hi, my name is Gwen Dolan and I've always liked to add herbs to my cooking for seasoning and garnish. I was spending a lot of money buying them so I decided that I could save money by growing my own herbs. In addition to the money I save, fresh herbs taste so much better than the ones that I buy in the store. Before starting my garden I read several books and I talked to a few people I know who already have herb gardens. By researching the basics beforehand I was able to have a successful herb garden that produces all the herbs I need. This blog is for those who also want to grow a beautiful herb garden in their home.

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Getting Started With Your Very First Aquarium

There is a lot to decide before setting up a fish tank or aquarium in your home. If you are just going to have a few goldfish that the kids feed, then it is not as big a deal. On the other hand, if you are going to keep exotic fish, there are a lot of things that must happen to keep them alive and make the tank thrive.

Picking A Tank Size

One of the first decisions you have to make is what size of tank you want to have. Will it be a small 10-gallon aquarium that has a few nicely colored fish to look at or a large tank with many fish in it? It is important because the larger the tank and the more fish that are in it, the harder it is to keep clean and to keep the balance of ph in the water right. Consider the space you have for the tank and find a location that is not in the direct sunlight, because the sun will promote algae growth in the tank over time. You also don't want such a large tank that it overwhelms the room.

Buying Your Tank

Once you have decided the size of the tank, you can start shopping for one. Keep in mind, you need a power filter, a thermometer, a hood with lights in it, and some rocks for the bottom of the tank. If you want any decorations in the tank, it is best to put them in before the fish. Some tanks come as a kit that has everything you need in one nice package, but be aware that those package deals are not always the highest quality items. so it may or may not be a good buy for you.

Setting Up The Tank

Now that you have your tank set up and it is full of water, let it run for a few days and do not clean it during that time. The tank will grow some algae, but that is okay. Let the water get cloudy and then clear up on its own. Even though you may not want to wait to allow the filter to take the time to settle in, it is important to take this step and not introduce fish yet. The fish will likely not survive if you don't wait.

Adding Fish

After a few days, the tank will clear up on its own, and the water will be ready to introduce fish into. Take it slow and only add a few at a time and let them settle for a few days before adding more. Adding too many fish, too fast can stress the fish and cause some to die, as well as add strain to the filter and other parts of the tank. If you take the time to follow these steps, the likelihood that the fish will survive and the tank will flourish will be much higher.